Different levels of torture in hell

[Criada]

"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them."

And you will stone your children to death if they disobey you, presumably?

 

[jlujan69]

I might be alone with this, but it doesn't matter. I'll just try to put it simple.

I've been thinking lot about hell and it as a punishment, coming always to the same conclusion: I can't picture myself feeling content in heaven while knowing that people i care are suffering in hell, and i know that they are good people even if god hasn't entered their lives (i just do). So it wasn't easy for me, but.. i told god that i will not take my place in heaven. I feel like this is something i need to do. So in short, i'm going to hell as a volunteer. I've tried to imagine all the pain and suffering that i'll feel, but i know it will be a million times worse.
I just can't make others believe so they could be saved, so i want to save them in my own way. I want god to save my spot to those with no faith.
Why? Because they need it the most.

I don't know if god will allow this and most of you must think i'm plain ridiculous. But to be honest, after accepting my possible damnation in hell, i have more courage to confront it.

So theres my thoughts, don't wanna start an argument. I just thought someone might like a different pov.

You know, the Apostle Paul said in one of his epistles that if he could be condemned to Hell and have his fellow Jews go to Heaven, he would. I suppose that would be the ultimate show of love to somebody.

 

[Duckybill]

Oh wow, i must sound like a horrible christian I just love my family so much.

Acts 16:31 (NKJV)
31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

 

[Vince53]

Take a look at Isaiah 14:15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.

That seems to teach that there is more level of Hell. Many Christians believe that everyone in Hell is equal, but after the Last Judgment, when they are cast into the Lake of Fire, there are different degrees of suffering.

 

[Armistead14]

How God tortures will be up to him. There will be millions in hell that never heard the gospel, like the Indians, ect...so maybe they won't be tortured as bad. Then take teens, whenever they pass age of accountability, say 13, probably a few million have died over time before they reached 18, who knows had they lived longer they may have accepted, so maybe they will get a break. Millions are born in cultures and by birth taught something else and will believe it, so they shouldn't get the worse levels.

Course, think about the Jews duing WW2 and how surprised they will be. Over 6 million, 95% loved God more than most, but like most still waiting for the Messiah and didn't accept Christ. I'm sure they were sincere, being tortured by the Nazi's. To them their only hope was God. Can you imagine how they will feel, to go through all that torture on earth and then face the God they prayed too and he'll place them in eternal hell where Hitler's torture won't compare....probably just part of the generational curse on the Jews, but I would think they would be tortured less, because they loved God, but why should they get less, they denied Christ. In reality the majority of Jews will face eternal torture.

Really, with probably 80% of people going to hell, they all go for not accepting the gospel. I would assume God chooses who goes there. Face it, if you or I was born in Iran, we would be Muslim, so we're lucky to be born in the USA.

I don't see any levels in hell, but some believe it. Just be glad you're not going, to face torment on a level man has never done to man, where a trillion years is not even a second. We all will have many family members there which is sad, but God will erase them from our minds so there will be no tears in heaven, only pure joy.

 

[Armistead14]

Ah.. but I wonder how children fare. Of course I trust that the unborn, and the newborn are all given a fair shake, but I sometimes wonder how the fair shake works. There seem to be an accountability for thinking adults and the rest don't get much written about them. Oh well.

I don't see how the unborn or even young children get a free pass. We create a false gospel of age of accountability. It's no where in the bible.
Jesus says not to harm children, but he was speaking to them on earth.

Jesus is the only way, saying someone gets into heaven because they're not old enough to understand isn't biblical. Some declare they don't have the ability to understand. If age of accountability is a free pass over Christ, it would be best to kill all children and assure them a place in heaven. I would think they have to accept Christ or Christ isn't the only way. We try to create false gospels, instead of Christ is the only way.

I think the only way possible is Christ knows the ones that would get saved had they grown and those would be saved and he would know those that would reject him and those go to hell. The ones that never have heard would automatically go to hell. The bible says God must convict and these God has chosen not to convict and thus they never hear and condemned already.

 

[InkBlott]

Mr. Armistead, you had me quite up in arms this afternoon, until I read some of your other posts.

 

[DeaconDean]

I believe that my God is a righteous God in everything He does or says. Having said that, even though I am a born-again believer in the Risen Savior, if on that fearful day I stand before Him and He sentences me to an eternity in the lake of fire, He would still be righteous in doing so.

Jesus, God in the flesh, said:

"And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." -Lk. 12:47-48 (KJV)

I don't think there will be "levels" as described in Dante's Inferno, but I do, however, believe that "the punishment will fit the crime".

In one sense, they (unbelievers) will receive an equal punishment, an eternity in the lake of fire. However, I don't believe that a theif will receive the same punishment as a murderer. If you can understand what I'm trying to say.

Catholics believe, as I was told by a Catholic co-worker, that nothing is more severe than to be deprived of God's love, and a sentence to "hell" is to be vanquished from His presence and denied His love.

Seems to me I remember reading somewhere that those who are sentenced to an eternity in the lake of fire are not denied God's presence, in fact, they will ever see God, and see what they turned down and perhaps that will add to their torture:

"and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:" -Rev. 14:10 (KJV)

Just one more thing to ponder.

God Bless

Till all are one.

 

[Criada]

Personally, if you are right, I would think that being able to see God will be some comfort when I'm burning.. but then, the God I believed in wouldn't torture people in the first place...

 

[DeaconDean]

Personally, if you are right, I would think that being able to see God will be some comfort when I'm burning.. but then, the God I believed in wouldn't torture people in the first place...

I want to debate this with you, but being as since you are not a Fundy, and an admitted "agnostic follower of Jesus", here the emphasis being on the "agnostic" part, I cannot, and I would not.

I had great respect for you when you were on staff, and I still have respect for you now.

However, our views on the word "torture" are vastly different.

My God is not some diety who like a kid with a magnifying glass burns ants at random, no, rather, an eternity in the lake of fire is the reward for those who choose not to believe and accept Jesus Christ.

If believing brings "eternal life", what does rejection bring? And eternity of nothingness?

Whatever happens in the lake of fire, people bring that upon themselves. In fact, by rejecting Christ, they are literally asking for it.

If you were on a plane that crashed in the desert, miles and miles from any civilzation, then the walk across the desert without food or water would be torment, torture.

People journey every day on "planes" that risk crashing. And without the "life preserver" Jesus Christ, an eternity in the lake of fire would be just like crossing the desert without food or water.

Bottom line is this, you absolutley cannot have "eternal life" without having eternal punishment, torment, etc. If you did, then God would cease to be just, fair, loving, kind, righteous, (insert any biblical adjective that describes God's love for man), etc.

God sent His ultimate love towards mankind in the Son who died on a cross for our sins that we might not go to the lake of fire. Those that go there, do so of their own choosing.

The only way to escape the place:

"Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." -Mk. 9:44 (KJV)

Is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and repent of your sins, and make Him your Savior.

If man goes there, it is by their own doings, not God's.

God Bless

Till all are one.

 

[Criada]

Well, as you say, I can't debate here at the moment, so, I won't.
I'll just say that the adjective I would like to substitute is 'merciful'.

 

[DeaconDean]

I'll just say that the adjective I would like to substitute is 'merciful'.

He is merciful!

When we deserve nothing but death for our sins, Jesus Christ came and took our place and died in our stead for our sins.

Now that is true mercy!

God Bless

Till all are one.

 

[Jpark]

I like to debate atheists and one thing that got me thinking is it seems logical that people who scoff and consciously reject God would worse eternal torture than someone who God never gave a chance to be saved (like a muslim who never heard of christ)

What do you think? I know it is not in hte bible but it seems like logic

I don't believe there are many hells but that is not what the op is asking. To contribute to this discussion, how about Matthew 18:21-35?

 

[Man_is_Flawed]

As an answer to the original post, I would like to say that I believe that God would be more merciful to an individual who categorically rejects His existence than to an individual who believes in a false God. While an atheist may be ignorant and doomed to damnation, he at least does not accept the tenets of a false religion that is in many ways contrary to the teachings of the Lord. A blank slate is a more malleable pallet than a slate that is already filled.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Originally Posted by supportisrael35

I like to debate atheists and one thing that got me thinking is it seems logical that people who scoff and consciously reject God would worse eternal torture than someone who God never gave a chance to be saved (like a muslim who never heard of christ)

What do you think? I know it is not in hte bible but it seems like logic
​

I do believe you are correct, that their are levels of punishment in Hell, just as their are levels of rewards in Heaven. I think there are scriptures to support this position, but I would take me awhile to find them.
But just looking at this logically, it makes sense that to those that much is given, much is expected; with the converse also being true.

Interesting perspective.



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[lismore]

Leave it in God's hands. God is the righteous all-knowing judge and will do what is right, without prejudice or injustice.

'He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he'

Deuteronomy 32:4

 

[SkyWriting]

Unless the torment of their memories makes it different for each.

Yes.